German Army medium brigade concept of operations revealed

The German Army's new medium brigades will be equipped with the Boxer-based Schakal IFV. (Rheinmetall)

The German army has developed a concept of operations (CONOPS) for its new medium brigades, which will provide an additional force category between its existing light and heavy forces.

Speaking at the 2026 SAE Media Group Future Soldier Technology conference held in London in March under the Chatham House Rule, a German official said the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine highlighted the need for forces capable of rapid deployment. These units must be able to fight mounted or dismounted to counter mechanised adversaries until heavy reinforcements arrive.

The brigades will use Boxer wheeled armoured vehicles, including the Schakal (Jackal) — heavy weapon carrier (Schwerer Waffenträger Infanterie) variant It will use the turret of the Bundeswehr's tracked Puma infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), armed with a Rheinmetall MK 30-2/ABM (airburst munition) cannon and the multi-role capable light missile system (Mehrrollenfähiges leichtes Lenkflugkörper-System: MELLS). MELLS is the Bundeswehr designation for the Spike Long Range (LR) anti-tank missile.

The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) ordered 150 Schakal infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for Germany and 72 for the Netherlands from Rheinmetall-KNDS joint venture Artec on 17 October 2025.

The brigades are being formed by converting existing light and armoured infantry battalions to the medium role. Artillery support will be provided by the Boxer-based Remote Controlled Howitzer 155 (RCH 155).

The official said the concept of operations is based on “shoot and scoot” and “hit and run” tactics. Initial contact with the enemy should be made with unmanned systems. Each manoeuvre battalion will have a combined reconnaissance and sniper platoon using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to detect targets and engage them with loitering munitions (LMs).